Expandable panniers

Abstract

Panniers according to the present disclosure may be transitionable between a collapsed configuration and a deployed configuration. Transitioning between the collapsed configuration and the deployed configuration may include unlatching an outboard rigid wall from its position adjacent an inboard rigid wall, such that the pannier automatically springs into the deployed configuration.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A wheeled vehicle comprising:
 a frame; and 
 a pannier coupled to the frame, the pannier comprising:
 an elongate, collapsible floor; 
 a collapsible front wall; 
 a collapsible rear wall; 
 a rigid inboard lateral wall portion; and 
 a rigid outboard lateral wall portion; 
 
 wherein the pannier is transitionable between a first configuration, in which the outboard lateral wall portion is spaced from the inboard lateral wall portion, such that the pannier defines an internal storage space, and a second configuration, in which the front wall, rear wall, and floor are collapsed and encased by the inboard and outboard lateral wall portions, 
 the collapsible rear wall comprising a plurality of rigid plates spaced apart by flexible seams, such that the rear wall is foldable at the flexible seams. 
 
     
     
       2. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the rigid plates comprise a pair of triangular plates vertically spaced from a pair of right-trapezoidal plates, each of the two pairs of plates being mirrored across a vertical flexible seam. 
     
     
       3. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the rear wall forms an inside reverse fold when the pannier is in the second configuration. 
     
     
       4. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising one or more latches configured to secure the outboard lateral wall portion to the inboard lateral wall portion. 
     
     
       5. A wheeled vehicle comprising:
 a frame; and 
 a pannier attachable to the frame, the pannier comprising:
 an elongate, collapsible floor; 
 a collapsible front wall; 
 a collapsible rear wall; 
 a rigid inboard lateral wall portion; 
 a rigid outboard lateral wall portion; and 
 a latch configured to secure the outboard lateral wall portion adjacent the inboard lateral wall portion; 
 
 wherein the pannier is transitionable between a first configuration, in which the outboard lateral wall portion is spaced from the inboard lateral wall portion, such that the pannier defines an internal storage space, and a second configuration, in which the front wall, rear wall, and floor are collapsed and encased by the inboard and outboard lateral wall portions; and 
 wherein the latch comprises a first latch portion disposed on the outboard lateral wall portion configured to mate with a second latch portion disposed on the frame. 
 
     
     
       6. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the front wall and the rear wall are configured to provide an outward biasing force when collapsed. 
     
     
       7. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 6 , wherein the outward biasing force causes the pannier to transition from the second configuration to the first configuration automatically in response to releasing the latch. 
     
     
       8. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the pannier is disposed on one lateral side of the vehicle, and further comprising a second substantially identical pannier disposed on an opposite lateral side of the vehicle. 
     
     
       9. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 5 , wherein the collapsible floor includes a flexible fabric coupled to a pair of rigid plates such that a flexible seam is formed by the flexible fabric of the floor disposed in a gap between the rigid plates of the floor. 
     
     
       10. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 9 , wherein the collapsible front wall and the collapsible rear wall each include a flexible fabric coupled to a plurality of rigid plates such that flexible seams are formed by the flexible fabric of the respective walls disposed in gaps between the rigid plates of the walls. 
     
     
       11. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 5 , further comprising a manual pull tab disposed remotely with respect to the latch and configured to release the latch when pulled. 
     
     
       12. The wheeled vehicle of  claim 11 , wherein the pull tab is externally accessible when the pannier is in the second configuration. 
     
     
       13. A pannier comprising:
 a first lateral wall; 
 a second lateral wall; 
 a first end wall extending from the first lateral wall to the second lateral wall and comprising a first plurality of rigid plates having first flexible seams therebetween such that the first end wall is foldable; and 
 a second end wall spaced from the first end wall, extending from the first lateral wall to the second lateral wall and comprising a second plurality of rigid plates having second flexible seams therebetween such that the second end wall is foldable; 
 wherein the pannier is transitionable between a collapsed configuration, in which the first and second end walls are folded and the first lateral wall is secured in a position adjacent to the second lateral wall, and a second configuration, in which the first and second lateral walls are spaced apart and the first and second end walls are in an unfolded position. 
 
     
     
       14. The pannier of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second seams are biased toward the unfolded position, such that the pannier is configured to expand automatically-in response to releasing one or more latches. 
     
     
       15. The pannier of any  claim 13 , wherein the first and second lateral walls encase the first and second end walls when in the collapsed configuration. 
     
     
       16. The pannier of any one of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second seams are configured such that each of the end walls preferentially forms an inside reverse fold when in the collapsed configuration.